Written by Mark Waid
Drawn by Horacio DominguesThey called him Max Damage for a reason. After his knock-down-drag-out with Amberjack and Jailbait’s double-dealing, Max is on a warpath that will put his new career path into question. Then, Detective Armadale drops a bombshell that brings things to critical mass for the unlikely trio. Is there such a thing as second chances when you have this much blood on your hands? Covers by Christian Nauck and Rafael Albuquerque.
Incorruptible has been an odd ride so far, and if you’ve been following my reviews of it so far you might notice that I’m still not enjoying it as much as Irredeemable. However, follow me after the cut as I take a look at this week’s latest entry into Mark Waid’s dark new universe.
Incorruptible has been moving at an odd pace so far. In fact, I’m not entirely sure where it’s going, but after this issue I definitely have some more faith in the on-going plot.
With the current issue, we see our new Jailbait as well as our old crossing paths in a hospital. Meanwhile Max Damage is out and about in the real world, going after the new cult of the Plutonian made up of white power fanatics using the Plutonian’s actions as justification for hate crimes. Waid doesn’t really skim on the details for them, showing the characters out and attacking every minority under the sun until Max beats some life into them. However, for the first time Max is now shown with his flaws. Not only does he lament the fact that the fear he used to hold over people’s heads being gone, but his super power is finally exploited against him.
My general problem is that Incorruptible isn’t as pulse pounding as Irredeemable. It was great in the beginning but has since slowed down a lot. This issue manages to recapture some of that pacing and brings me back into the story. I follow it mainly because I love Irredeemable, so it’s nice to have an issue that makes me feel more rewarded. The new story thread with Annie is particularly odd, and one that I feel will have a greater pay off as the story goes along. I also enjoy Damage being beaten and broken down, because considering this comic was created to exist in stark contrast with Irredeemable, Damage just being a super hero and being great at it wouldn’t make sense.
I get the feeling Waid’s heart isn’t into this one as much as it is Irredeemable though, because the story of Irredeemable is just so much more inventive than this. Incorruptible is basically a toned down character story versus an epic disaster story involving super heroes. That’s not to say that Incorruptible is bad – far from it. I enjoy the book quite a bit. However, I still don’t really enjoy Horacio Domingues on the book, especially not in comparison to Jean Diaz, and I’m still waiting for something as explosive as anything in Irredeemable to happen. Mostly, I’m waiting for the inevitable crossover, because I am dying to see more Max Damage and Plutonian interaction – even if it was in some kind of flashback.
Incorruptible is a nice companion piece, but it doesn’t outshine it’s predecessor. If you’re an avid fan like myself of Irredeemable, I’d follow Incorruptible just to be part of the ride. However, if you had to make a choice between the two, I’d stick to Irredeemable. Incorruptible just isn’t doing it the same.
Final Verdict: 6.7 – Browse
